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Anatomy of the Sea Turtle | |||
| The top side of the shell is called the carapace. The shape of the carapace depends on species, but range in shape from oval to heart-shaped. The bottom side of the shell is called the plastron. |  | ||
| The shell is covered by a layer of horny plates called scutes. Only exception is the Leatherback that are covered by a thick and oil-suffused skin. The Leatherback is also the only species of the sea turtles where the backbone is not attached to the carapace. | |||
 | Even thought the scutes are firm they are still flexible. The number and patterns of the scutes are also used by scientists to identify the different sea turtle species from each. | ||
| The color of the sea turtle depends on specie and where it lives. Normally the colors range can be olive-green, yellow, greenish-brown, reddish-brown, or black in color. The large bony shell of the sea turtle is off course one of the most important protections it has against predators. | 1 2 3 | ||
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